31 weeks (and some change)

31.5 weeks along...8.5 weeks until our due date...5.5 weeks until baby is considered "full term." I absolutely can't believe that we're going to meet our baby so soon. Granted, first babies often come a bit later than 40 weeks, so I'm gearing up to go to 42 weeks if that's what it takes for Munchkin to be ready to meet the world. Even counting those extra weeks, it seems like it's just around the corner.

Recently, Mom was in town for a visit before she attended a conference nearby. She (very generously) wanted to get us the crib, so we went furniture shopping. I really enjoyed having my mom in town. I always miss her (and the rest of my family), and it was nice to have someone to gab about all-things-baby-related for a few days.

Ed/Alex put together the crib and dresser last weekend, and the rocking chair and nursing stool arrived this week. It's so strange to think that we have a crib in our house. And soon we'll have a baby in the house. It's absolutely blowing my mind.

Physically, I'm starting to feel somewhat uncomfortable at times. A good night's sleep is harder and harder to come by, and I can tell that I'm becoming fatigued more easily. Munchkin seems determined to burrow up under my sternum or to wedge his/her bottom deep into my liver...so I have random bouts of shortness of breath. On the flip side, I haven't had a problem with a lot of the other issues that tend to plague pregnant women. I've been relatively free of heartburn and I've yet to experience constipation, swelling, or incontinence (sorry). I'm still trying to stay as active as possible. I haven't had to slow down at work, and I'm still exercising regularly. All in all, not a lot to complain about. I've been very fortunate during this pregnancy. And, as odd as it feels to have the baby trying to climb into my chest cavity, I love that I feel him/her moving around so often. At this piont, it's usually easy to identify a pattern of sleep/wake cycles. Munchkin, however, does not seem to sleep. Ever. We may be in for it!

Emotionally, I'm feeling a bit more anxious about our impending initation into parenthood. I'm hoping for a birth involving as few interventions as possible, and terrified of a c-section. While I know Ed/Alex and I will do the best we can and have a lot of love and support to help us along, I also know that suddenly becoming parents will be quite an adjustment. I'm already worried about how I feel the first day I go back to work and have to leave Munchkin at daycare. I worry about how fast he/she will grow up (the teenage years terrify me). You get the picture (if not, imagine a snowball rolling down a mountain...at the end it's a very large snow boulder).

Lastly, we had another ultrasound to look at the baby's kidneys today. The tech was showing me the baby's profile and he/she was making little suckling movements with it's mouth. It was something so simple, but it was such a typically baby thing to do, and it really moved me to see it. I think I'm in love!

He's a good sport

So, our first childbirth and infant care class was on Super Bowl Sunday. Neither of us are big football followers, so it wasn't a big deal. But still...that alone could have been a problem for many husbands.

It turns our that our instructor was less than wonderful. She was nice enough, but when we left Ed/Alex was underwhelmed, and I was just plain angry (some of her "information" was just plain wrong, and I also felt that she was intentionally less-than-forthcoming).

The upside.......we got this picture:

It's from my cellphone so it's not very clear, but I think you get the idea. Poor guy...he was a very good sport about the whole thing.

Better late than never

These are from an ultrasound we had at 26 weeks. We're getting a few extra peeks at the little person as they monitor his or her kidneys and fluid levels.

Profile: I think Munchkin has my forehead (poor kid) and Ed/Alex's kissable lips (sorry if that's too much info)!

Another profile, but in this on the baby has his or her hand over it's face (you can see the fingers over the nose).

Welcome to the 3rd Tri!

How in the world did this happen? I'm 28 weeks today and entering the third trimester. Here's a bump pic...

I still feel great, but I'm becoming more aware of my belly with each passing day. Up until recently, I could see a belly growing but I didn't feel all that different. All of the sudden, I'll bend over to get something out of the dryer, or put on my pants, and realize that there is a belly in the way!

We had a follow-up ultrasound a couple of weeks ago to check on Munchkin's slightly enlarged kidneys. This is very common and they're not too concerned. I was hoping it would all be normal at the 2nd ultrasound, but there hasn't been much of a change. The good news is that the baby is still growning right on track, and there is plenty of amniotic fluid. ***Ed/Alex was a little disturbed when I explained that this meant the baby's "output" was still good. "You mean the baby pees in there???!!!????" "Well...kind of...it's not really as gross as it sounds".*** Anyway, we'll go back in a few weeks for another ultrasound just to make sure the fluid levels are still where they should be. Once Ed/Alex has time to scan the latest pictures I'll be sure to post those.

Ed/Alex finished painting the baby's room. It's........VERY yellow. More so than I imagined when we picked out the color. So, Munchkin will have a very bright and sunny room. Hopefully we can keep it from looking like Pee Wee's Playhouse!

So....things are moving right along. It's all starting to seem so real.

Note to Munchkin

Dear Munchkin,

I love feeling you move around in my belly! Sometimes it's hard to figure out exactly what you're doing in there, but I enjoy feeling all the little kicks, punches, rolls, and even hiccups.

However, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't use my bladder as a moon bounce. Especially in the middle of the night!

Mommy loves you!

Let's Hear it For My Husband

I guess if you're reading a baby blog, you don't really need a warning that things may get a bit sappy...but here's your warning just in case. I may get a bit mushy in this post!

I just want to sing my husband's praises for a bit. It seems like daddies-to be end up taking the back seat during the pregnancy stage. No one is asking them constantly how they are feeling, rubbing their belly, or offering to pamper them. Then the baby comes, and the new mommy suddenly has a new love in her life. This new love doesn't take the place of her love for the daddy...but it's safe to say that an awful lot of time and attention needs to go to the new baby.

I had a "my-emotions-got-ahold-of-me-before-I-knew-what-was-happening-and-I-LOST-MY-MIND-over-nothing-kind-of-moment" a few days ago. You see, I ordered a book for Ed/Alex that was written for partners who were planning on trying to help the mommy through a medication-free birth.

****Side-note...I hate it when people say "natural birth" when referring to medication or intervention-free births. I have yet to meet a woman who gave birth to a vinyl baby, or who had a virtual birth. It's all natural. And, I'm also not making judgements about any particular type of birth. I'm hoping for a med-free birth primarily because I'm afraid of losing what little control I have left during the birth process if I have an epidural and can't feel my legs, walk around, etc. ****

Anyway...I ordered this book. Ed/Alex and I had a conversation about whether he thought we should hire a doula. This was something I had never considered in the past. But, the more I read about it, the more I thought it might be worth at least looking into. I figured that a doula would be able to be an advocate for me if needed (taking this off of Ed/Alex's shoulders), and could help Ed/Alex anticipate my needs (taking this off of my shoulders). In the end, I wasn't really convinced that it was for us, but I brought it up to Alex while we were on the plane to NC for Christmas. (Yes...I had a captive audience. Judge me if you must). At the end of the discussion we both agreed that we wouldn't go the doula-route, but that he would do some reading before the birth.

Back to the book...Ed/Alex picked it up and asked how he could possibly remember everything in that book when it came time to remember it. This is when I LOST MY MIND. I'm shamelessly blaming it on the pregnancy hormones. I immediately decided that he wasn't willing to put in the effort, didn't understand what was involved in giving birth, etc.

Why am I sharing this?

For one, I feel like I should be honest. It's often difficult for anyone who faced infertility to admit that pregnancy isn't all rainbows and puppies all the time. While I'm really enjoying being pregnant, and really believe that I'll miss it...there are moments here and there where it's less then comfortable. And while I haven't been one of those crazy pregnant women they depict on TV, I have had a moment here and there where I just lose it. I've never been perfect, and pregnancy hasn't suddenly turned me into a saint (despite the miracle that may be taking place inside me).

Secondly, I want to point out that none of my concerns had to do with my perceptions about my husband's ability to support me during birth. After we talked it out, I realized how hurt he was when he thought I was saying he wasn't up to the task. Unfortunately, he has been in the position to be an advocate for loved ones in the hospital in the past. He's quite good at it. I've seen first hand how he can navigate the hospital and get answers/results when needed. I think I have just been trying to de-medicalize birth to the point where I didn't want him to have to be an advocate for me or the baby.

I also thought it was interesting that he is more concerned about researching how to be a good parent. He's not at all worried about the birth! I have no doubt about his ability to be a good parent...I have never once thought that he needed to study up on parenting skills!

I have absolutely no doubt that Ed/Alex will be a wonderful birth partner and fellow parent. He's been my rock since we became a couple, and I don't expect that to change. He was there to help me navigate roller coaster that was trying to conceive, and I can assure you that it was no small feat! He has also been incredibly supportive throughout the pregnancy.

I'm not always easy to live with, but he hasn't run away yet! He's able to see past my faults and love me regardless....sounds like he's ready to be a daddy to me!

He felt the baby kick!

Daddy-to-be felt the baby kick today! I've been feeling a kick here and there that I swore could be felt from the outside. Everytime I'd call Ed/Alex into the room (often while he was in the middle of doing something else), Munchkin would suddenly go all quiet. As soon as my husband would leave the room, Munchkin would give me a couple more big kicks just to play with my head.

Today after dinner, I felt a really big kick and grabbed Ed/Alex's hand. He gave me a look that said, "that's cute, I'll humor you but I doubt I'll feel something." Lo and behold, the young'un cooperated and gave him a few hardy "Hello Daddy" kicks.